Helooo peeps ;D

I've successfully passed through MARA's interview, and now I'm accepted for their scholarship/convertible loan. Thing is, I don't know how does this scholarship work. Is it really true that there is no bond imposed? How much of a percentage must i pay back should if it is a loan? Hypothetically speaking here, if i get a 4.00CGPA in University and manage to convert my loan into a scholarship, does that mean that they have given me money just like that? Where is the logic in that? Doesn't that sound a little bit dodgy/shady?

I've been trying to call them for the past week but they haven't been answering my calls.

So dear awesome people/MARA seniors, could you enlighten me on how this convertible loan works like, and what the contract will look like? Also, could you share some of your experiences regarding Mara scholars?

Since i had 10A+ for my SPM, KPM is also offering me a bursary to study A-Levels for free (and JPA would sponsor my undergraduate degree afterwards). Is it wise for me to reject my KPM bursary& JPA and go for MARA instead?

Terima Kasih Daun Keladi.

Congratulation for getting the Mara scholarship.. Anyway,I'm not a Mara scholar but I'm under their Skim Pinjaman Terbuka.. In my offer letter it is stated that I need to send them a letter if I want to convert my loan to scholarship after I graduated..Didn't state the exact cgpa needed to apply for that conversion though. And if I'm not mistaken if you're Mara scholar and you get good cgpa you do not need to pay back cuz it automatically become scholarship and you're not bonded to the goverment..


And my advice is, go for Mara.. JPA only sponsor for your pre-u studies for now,that's mean your undergraduate studies not yet confirm whether JPA will continue the scholarship.And there's a bond if you choose JPA. For now 10 years for medicine and 7 years for pharmacy graduates. not sure for other courses. But looking at the current state, if you want to be a doctor the 10 years bond is not that bad because that;s mean you will given priorities to work with the goverment..ermm





This post has been edited by sitifarhan: May 30 2012, 02:24 PM

Thanks for the info mate! Skim Pinjaman Terbuka eh... tu utk degree level ke?

UPDATE: I just called them, and for the sake of sharing, here's what I got:

Percentage of bond paling tinggi 20%
bond = 0 tahun
(But you'll still have to report back to Malaysia under government policy)
so bond = 2 years (not by mara, but by kerajaan)
For peringkat IB/A-Level, it is a sponsorship
For degree, it is a convertible loan
like i said, it ranges from 20% bayar balik - 0% bayar balik
And all of this depends on your pointer during university (but like what siti farhan has mentioned, they never point out WHAT that pointer is)

This post has been edited by BadJuju: May 30 2012, 02:22 PM

Skim Pinjaman Terbuka open for degree,diploma and professional courses like ACCA..
Maximum 20% not that bad ar.. but then again it will depends on Mara current policy.. So to be safe,just need to study hard to convert it to scholarship though..

Thank you for sharing, Badjuju, and Sitifarhan.

Need more information!!
From what i've heard that the cost for medicine in UK is around RM700,000
and if you fail you need to pay 100% of the amount.

Yes it's about 700k (at today's exchange rate) to do medicine in the UK. Are you already preparing to fail, even before getting a place?

Not thinking about failing but we must think the worst case scenario some make it as a motivation . It is all depends to the individual.

Ok fair enough, the 700k pay back motivation. For now your motivation should be how to get into medical school in the UK.

hey badjuju, is mara result is coming out already or you taking the piln timur tengah one...which one do you take actually.. thanks!

Just to share, I used MARA Loan, I think it wasn't a full loan. It was just from my 2nd semester to 6th semester. 1st sem I paid myself because MARA loan was only available when I was in my 2nd sem.

Okay back to the point, I graduated my diploma with a 3.5 and sent my application for the e-conversion (if I'm not mistaken, that's what it's called). I only had to pay 1K+ out of 17K+

So MARA is reliable in my opinion. Feel free to read on for any other responses from others. Congrats btw (:

Actually, my friend's daughter turned down the JPA A-Level bursary thing and accepted the MARA scholarship for the ADP program at INTEC.

The major reason she chose MARA because the scholarship was for her oversea degree program, unlike the JPA bursary which was only for A-Level. You should give this some thought.

I just heard from a friend that MARA loan now asks you to pay about 20% if you are a first class graduate. If else, pay back >20%

I was like dafqk

Could this be true?

This post has been edited by lost_destiny: Jul 4 2012, 04:19 PM

still open for skim pinjaman terbuka?

Hi, I will be doing a level at kolej mara seremban (KMS). I would like to know if Mara sends a level graduates from KMS to UK? because back then MARA only sent them to do degree at Australia.

Congrates. I tot when u got accepted... you already know upfront where u will be sent...

thank you. no it didnt say in the offer letter